Wednesday Food and Drink Round-Up

Lucali’s
575 Henry Street, near 1st Place, Carroll Gardens; no phone yet
“Slavering outer-borough Chowhounders have recently been storming the unmarked gates of Carroll Gardens’s newest brick-oven pizzeria, a rustic establishment being compared on that contentious, cultlike Website to such sacred pizza cows as Di Fara’s… Chef-owner Mark Iacono’s pie is also imbued with a feisty smokiness, courtesy of a wood fire, and has a flavorful crust that’s comparatively soft and puffy, closer to classic coal-oven practitioners like Totonno’s and Grimaldi’s than Di Fara’s.” [NY Mag]
Photo by A Brooklyn Life

After the jump: Williamburg’s new Japanese gastropub, pizza and coffee in Bed Stuy, and a taste of Smith Street’s Porchetta…

Zenkichi
77 North Sixth Street, near Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg; 718.388.8985
“It’s called a brasserie but you might call this new spot, opening Friday, a Japanese gastropub, what with small plates of dishes like miso-marinated spareribs and oyster risotto. Buttons on the tables summon waiters.” [NY Times]

Focaccino
1069 Bedford Avenue, near Lexington Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant
“I tried the rosemary brick oven focaccia and the regular pizza with grilled parmesan and roasted red peppers. I was curious about the grilled parmesan, but it was just regular grated parmesan and the roasted peppers still had their skins intact. The rosemary focaccia came with melted blue cheese, which jolted my taste buds upon first bite.” [Eating for Brooklyn]

Porchetta
241 Smith Street, near Douglas, Cobble Hill; 718.237.9100
“Primi include spaghetti with Sicilian olive oil, lemon, razor clams, guanciale, and smoked chilies, and a squid ink gnocchi with piquillo peppers, dates, gorgonzola, chives, and pancetta. Secondi sound like this: olive oil poached tuna with raviolini of sausage and apple, wilted spinach, porcini juices; skate with crispy pig’s foot, black truffle crushed potatoes, sour fennel salad, and braised; and fried pork belly, dried fruit mustardo, cauliflower puree. Yum.” [The Strong Buzz]